Question: I have a classmate who asks me for answers to tutorials near exam period. He is very lazy and doesn’t pay attention in class. I feel a sense of selfishness and discomfort when passing answers to him, as I spent lots of time figuring out the answers. Is this because I lack compassion?
Answer: The truth is, even if a lazy classmate copies your homework, he can never do better in the long run – as laziness affects his character, revision, absorption, performance in exams, and probably work life in future too. It is thus unlikely that he has an edge over you in grades. Maybe you can put the above in your own words to share with him, on how actually doing the tutorials helps him to learn better and score better grades. It’s good to let him know that it is out of compassion for him that you prefer not to share all your answers. But if he is stuck over specific questions, it should be okay to share those answers? This can be a skilful ‘Middle Path’?
